Magic Hold On, Beat Trail Blazers in 'Game of Runs'

The Orlando Magic improved to 2-1 on the road trip after beating the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 11, 2023

Magic Hold On, Beat Trail Blazers in 'Game of Runs' /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic (16-26) bounced back from its 25-point defeat last night and beat the Portland Trail Blazers (19-21) in a 109-106 contest Tuesday Night at Moda Center.

It was a game of runs between the Magic and Blazers, and Orlando struck first out of the gates with a 26-10 lead in the first eight minutes of the contest.

However, Portland fought back, outscoring Orlando 30-17 in the second quarter, tying the game at 50 apiece going into the locker room.

Then, the Magic found a rhythm once again, racing out to a 15-0 run to start the second half, but the Blazers weren't going to go out quietly. Portland slowly but surely chipped away at Orlando's lead, which was cut to one point with 22 seconds to go.

However, the Magic held on, thanks to clutch free throws and several crucial stops in the Blazers' final possession.

Leading the way for Orlando was Franz Wagner, who dropped a game-high 29 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter. Wendell Carter Jr. and Paolo Banchero each recorded a double-double, while Markelle Fultz and Moe Wagner also ended up in the double-digit scoring department.

The win for Orlando shakes off the difficult loss on Monday in Sacramento and keeps the team afloat going into the second half of the road trip.

The Magic will get two days of rest before returning to the court Friday night against the Utah Jazz. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.

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Published Jan 11, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.